Swedish Professional Football Leagues (SEF) and the Swedish Football Supporter Union (SFSU) welcomes the Miljöpartiet suggestion to the Swedish Government on the work with our Swedish football events. We share their opinion that there are strong reasons to review the police’s use of the so-called conditional staircase. SEF and SFSU share the police’s stated goal of safe, secure and welcoming football events, but see this year’s police strategy as a step further from, rather than a step towards, this targeted image. Furthermore, we are against the collective punishment of innocent football clubs, supporters, employees and football lovers.
We are happy that our politicians has become involved in the debate that have existed throughout the entire 2019 season. Allsvenskan will soon reach over two million visitors for the fifth year in a row, and the survey ”Sports Navigator” shows that Allsvenskan for the first time is the most popular league in Sweden. The NSI survey (Satisfied Supporter Index) reveals that Allsvenskan visitors are more satisfied with their experience for each year. After many seasons of work based on dialogue and collaboration between the stakeholders of football, we can handle the number of disturbances in a better way and the perceived security at our events is now very high. 4.3 on a scale of 0-5 is a very good safety result, but of course we want to reach even higher before we can be completely satisfied.
Our supporters are the heart of Swedish football. They create an atmosphere that is of absolute world class and attracts even more visitors to our stadiums. Among other things, through the unique collaboration that Swedish elite football has with their supporters, we have also taken a stand and have in many and many places overcome problems such as violence, racism and bangers. The Swedish Elite football contributes with over SEK 1 billion to our society and the elite football takes responsibility for the society in which we live.
Punishing tens of thousands of good-natured and committed football lovers to solve a problem very few people are creating we do not consider the right way to go. We believe that the Swedish football stadiums are a safe and secure place to be and a forum for joy and fellowship. To limit and shut them down can not be the right thing to do.
We know that there are problems in our stands as well and we are prepared to work even harder with getting rid of the problems. Basically, we want the same thing as the police, but we don’t believe in the police’s current methods. Instead, we suggest proportionate and adapted methods to individuals, developed in dialogue and collaboration based on knowledge and experience, before collective repression.
We share the view of Miljöpartiet that the police strategy contributes to increased gaps between football stakeholders. We also share the opinion of Miljöpartiet that there are reasons for the Government to review the police work for safe and secure football events.
If that does not happen, we are afraid that Swedish football stadiums will become an unsafer place to visit.
Swedish Professional Football Leagues and Swedish Football Supporters Union through Lars-Christer Olsson and Sofia Bohlin
